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26 y/o female- invisalign with attachments and bands start to finish

I am expecting that by the end of my invisalign...

  • 26 Dec 2013
  • 1 day pre
I am expecting that by the end of my invisalign treatment (expected to be 17 months plus refinements) I will have a Hollywood smile. I will also be getting veneers at the end on my two front top teeth as these were chipped quite bad when I was younger and the caps need to be replaced. Please also note I have never had braces before. This is something I have decided to do to improve my appearance and my oral health. As I am an adult I have chosen to go for invisalign as they are a lot less noticeable than traditional braces. At this point I have had my trays on (no attachments) for a week and so far I have found that my teeth are still a bit sensitive when biting harder foods, and my gums are a bit sore from constantly brushing and flossing, but nothing too unbearable. The only thing that is really annoying is trying to stick to only having them out 2 hours a day which includes eating and brushing/ flossing and im also missing snacking and green tea. But all in all i think it will be worth it in the end and You really can't notice these ones at the moment, but end of January I will be getting 17 attachments and bands which I am dreading. I am going to ask about acceledent which is meant to reduce your treatment time by 30-50%. Which would possibly mean that I could be done with my initial invisalign in like 9 months, which would be amazing! If anyone has used it in Australia could you please let me know how much it cost and how you found it? Pretty please. Well that's it for this first review, if anyone has any questions please comment below and I will do my best to answer them.

1st trays update

  • 29 Dec 2013
  • 2 days post
I just thought I would update on what I've found so far.. I am clenching my teeth at night and this makes me back teeth sore in the morning, does anyone else do this since getting their trays? I have been really lucky, my speech is fine (so far). Definately going to speak to my ortho about exceledent, I'm too impatient! I've now had my trays in for nearly two weeks and biting toast is still a bit sore. It's really important to clean the trays, I do this at least twice a day with vinegar and water. Biggest con- I can't wear lipstick as it gets in my trays, and I love my bright colours! All in all though I am happy with my decision and actually am looking forward to getting my attachments and bands as this means stuff will happen quicker.

2nd trays first day

  • 2 Jan 2014
  • 6 days post
Last night I put in my 2nd trays which weren't too painful except for the sharp edges which i filed down,but still I popped a couple of nurofen and went to bed.

I also compared the discoloration of my last trays to the new ones and although they didn't seem too bad, when side by side I could see the difference. I think I'm going to try retainer brite (off amazon) and maybe get a cheap sonic cleaner as I want to keep them as sparkly and hygenic as I can.

Still really struggling with wearing them 22/24 hours a day. I am a big eater who enjoys food and a good chat over meals and am a very thorough brusher and flosser (this alone can take me bout 20 mins!) and even though I go fast as I can, I always end up leaving them out for too long which makes me worry that I'm going to take even longer with my treatment time. Also find at times I try not to have any snacks as I can't be bothered doing the whole routine for a quick cup of tea.

I also emailed my orthodontic surgery to ask about the cost of acceledent (which I have yet to hear back from) and finally received my clincheck video, however like snowyT it is only a short, quick view which makes it difficult to tell which teeth are going to start shifting first.

Invisalign-not so invisible anymore

  • 24 Jan 2014
  • 28 days post
Hi!
So yesterday i got tray 3 put on and I got my 18 attachments and bands (with buttons). First impression- I wanted to cry! I feel like they are so noticeable and I can't even smile with my mouth shut because the buttons and attachments on my canines poke through! If that wasn't bad enough, my teeth are so sore and it is so difficult to get the aligners off and hurts to even just brush my teeth. To further add to my joy I also received more IPR yesterday as well as polishing between my teeth with a small grinder device which was not pleasant at all.
The attachments themselves scrape along the inside of my mouth and even the rubber bands are cutting into my cheeks.
I discussed acceledent at my appointment and although pricey ($1500 in one upfront payment) i am going to hopefully get it soon as i will be done with my initial treatment in 8 months instead of 16! at this point it also looks as though my refinements will mainly end up being done on my bottom teeth because it looks like i will have small gaps between a couple (the dreaded black triangles) and i am not a fan of that at all.
I will finish this post by saying
Although its uncomfortable I still think in the end it will all be worth it, beauty is pain after all.
Also I haven't included any pics but I will put some up over the next few days.

Pics! Tray 3

  • 24 Jan 2014
  • 28 days post
Not the most glamorous! But you get the idea!!

Tray 5

  • 22 Feb 2014
  • 2 months post
Put in tray 5 last night and what is feeling really weird to me is that my bands seem to be really pushing up against my cheeks. I know its too soon for any major movement but it also looks as though my midline has changed noticeably. I'm not due to see my ortho till April so I'm hoping everything is progressing as it should.
I should be getting my acceledent by about may which means hopefully I will be done with my initial treatment by beginning of December which will be amazing! Also does anyone know if you can postpone refinements for a little while (maybe a month) maybe just wear trays with no attachments and then start refinements?

Flossing

  • 26 Feb 2014
  • 2 months post
I've been reading reviews on water and air flossers and I was curious if anyone on here uses them? If so which one? And do you think its sufficient to replace string floss? I really struggle to floss the teeth at the back of my mouth and it also takes me forever, which means my brushing/flossing routine takes about 30 mins which is waaaay too long! Also do you brush first or floss first?
Thanks everyone!!
Dr grant duncan/ smile centre

Overall I have been happy with the surgery. The only thing that's a bit annoying is that my dr doesn't really oversee my whole treatment. When I went in for my first two sets of trays, I would of thought that he would of been there at least for that appointment but he wasn't. I should also mention that I chose to go to dr duncan as he is an elite provider and has many years of experience. He is a bit more expensive but when its my teeth I want the best results possible.

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Hi there, I'm new here and just started my invisalign treatment five days ago. My ortho also recommended me acceledent and I've been using it everyday since. I was only give two sets of trays for my first month. After which I will be going back for review n at the same time have the attachments put in. After reading some of the reviews here I'm a little worry about having them cuz from the looks of my aligners (they already got moulded space for where the attachments are going) I will be getting a lot of them! I do think the acceledent help in speeding up the process as I can already feel the change in my bite when I'm eating without the aligners.
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Hi, You should of been told how many attachments you would be getting after your clincheck came back from invisalign. But no need to worry I have 18 attachments and bands. The most noticeable thing is the bands, the attachments initially feel like they stick out a mile and the first few weeks your mouth/ bite does feel weird, but that goes away quite quickly. Just keep thinking of the final outcome and how great your teeth will look in the end. And lucky you have acceledent, hopefully I will get it soon. I will try put up some clear pics of my teeth with and without trays so that you can see
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Thanks for getting back n looking forward to see your progress!
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Btw...I should also add I'm 47 yo, never had braces before n my treatment is to straighten a slight underbite. The package is for 47 trays plus the acceledent. My ortho told me I probably wouldn't need to go thru all the trays n will start seeing results in 6-9 months time with the help of acceledent. Keeping my fingers crossed!
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When you mentioned the airflosser, I went out and looked it up right away.  Because I love dental gadgets.  We have both sonicare and oral-B electronic toothbrushes at home, as well as a waterpik.  My hubs used the waterpik while he had braces on and it helped him a lot, but he did not use it to replace flossing, but in addition, and he still got three cavities :(.  The air flosser looked promising, but it also isn't really a replacement for flossing, unless you refuse to floss anyway, in which case it's apparently better than nothing.  But then it also says it's not for tightly-spaced teeth, which I have.  It seems like people with crowding would have tightly spaced teeth, but I really don't know!

I'm very interested to see, if you get other responses, what their experiences have been like with these products!
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BTW--don't forget to vote up reviews you find helpful--it's right above the comments section and looks like this: Was this review helpful? 3 others found this helpful
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I went a month between regular Invisalign and refinements.  The only big difference was that the first refinement tray hurt more because my teeth had settled into their new spot. :)

Midlines are one of those things you notice even if it's just a tiny bit off, so it's entirely possible you are seeing a change there.
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So when you finished your regular invisalign did you take off attachments then and then put them back on for refinements? I know I sound really dumb on here but I'm just curious because I just got engaged and we are planning to get married end of this year and I really don't want any attachments or bands in my mouth at all!
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I think this may vary from person to person, but I kept my attachments on until the end of my treatment, including my six refinement trays.  But I didn't have any on my front teeth either, so I didn't complain about it.  I didn't care.  You may be able to see whether they remain necessary after your general treatment.
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They removed my attachments when I got my refinement trays - the attachments I have now are in different spots. It varies depending on your doctor. It generally takes at least 3 weeks to get in your trays after they do the new scan / impressions, maybe longer due to the holidays. It took about 5 weeks for me to get mine (was during month of December.)
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The attachments really help keep the trays in longer--not only do they make the trays difficult to remove, but they also cause sores on the inside of your mouth when the trays aren't in.  Fun!!!  But you do toughen up--you get used to it, somehow.  Reading your update just reminds me of those awful times.  8 months would be far preferable than 16, of that.  Does your doctor say the halving of the time is guaranteed?  I've read some doctors saying that the device isn't proven.
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My orthodontist has the latest model and said that a lot of patients don't get it because of the cost but the ones that do love it! They said as long as I do everything right (wear time, using chewies, wearing bands and using acceledent Device etc) initial treatment for me with my case should cut of 50% of my time, of course then I will still need refinements. I guess it depends on how the teeth do move for each individual person for if it works or not, but apparently my teeth are already doing what they're supposed to so acceledent should hurry them along nicely
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Awesome!  I look forward to seeing the Acceledent in action.  I know a lot of Invisaligners and potential Invisaligners are extremely interested in seeing how it works for you!  Thanks again for reviewing :
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Hi, I'm on tray one and also love eating and talking and I feel I'm going to loose so much weight, as I'm not eating much at all.. Oh boy the first tray are so sore on my lower teeth and gums.. I'm also trying to find out more about the acceledent machine.. If it really works ? How do you buy the mouth pieces as I might buy a 2nd hand one. I have been using bonjela to help with some of the slight pain I have with my gums and lower lips rubbing on the plate. I'm keen to see if my dentist can send me the videos and pictures as I would like to post up here.. Thanks for the post keen to talk more as we are just around the same time I'm on tray two very soon..
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Hi and congrats on your invisalign journey. How many trays is your treatment? Will you need attachments etc. exciting to find someone else who is just starting out. As for the eating.. I hear you! I am quite slim naturally (which I hate) and I too am worried about losing weight. I get bands and attachments in 3 weeks and I am a massive talker and I'm feeling like I won't even want to open my mouth! As for the pain.. Use the chewies A LOT the first few days I found it helped with the pain, and make sure to file down any sharp bits, this won't change the shape of the tray but will make them a lot more comfortable and they wont cut up your mouth, i filed mine last night and again today coz i could fewl that my top lip was going to get cut if i didnt. Also change your next tray at night before bed and take a couple of pain killers. I did this last night and I've had hardly any pain today. Acceledent- I've read that because it it a class 2 orthodontic equipment device it is not allowed to be resold, trays are molded to the individual again needs to be done by an ortho. I've heard that it does work for most people, it depends on the condition but expected to shorten treatment by 30-50% which is good enough for me. I will update any new information I hear about it but for now I'm just waiting to find out how much it will be through my ortho. I look forward to following your journey and feel free to ask me any questions (no matter how silly you think they may be) I'm new at this too but will help if I can.
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Thanks for your reply.. I have 37 trays in total and have attachments from day 1 =:) I hear you re talking and food.. I talk so much and I'm so sore it's getting less and less.. I'm sure my friends will say something soon. I will look into chewies thank you.. Where did you buy them from ? Thanks for the tip on the tray I will do this the night before now.. Pain killers are a must for the first 2 days I think well for tray one it was for me.. Acceledent very interesting it can not be resold... as they are so expensive I thought i might be able to get a 2nd hand one and just get a tray made. Thanks for helping and good to find a friend on here starting out as well. I hope to get some pics next time I do go the dentist in a few weeks for now it's all an experience and will be once I'm back at work on monday as well to see how I go.. great to meet you and keep in touch...
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I got my chewies in my invisalign starter pack. Maybe they forgot to give them to you, otherwise someone else on here said that biting down on a pen does the same. Mine don't hurt to talk but I just filed mine down again before with a nail file coz it felt like it was irritating the inside of my lips. Goodluck with it all and yes it's nice to find someone else to compare beginners notes with lol
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Are you managing to keep the trays in a full 20 hours/day?

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Definately, even maybe 21 but I was told to keep them in 22 hours and because I've just started I'm worried its not enough..
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I find wearing the trays 22 hours a day gets easier , i can have brekky,lunch and dinner and possibly a snack all under the 2 hours , just use some good time management and watch the clock and you should be fine, try to get the most wear out of them as you don't want a mid course correction that's for sure!
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Do you brush and floss after every meal?
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breakfast and dinner yes , lunch no unless im at home but im usually out to lunch or on the run, so chew on sugar free gum for a bit then rinse and put the trays back in.
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Yeah, my ortho told me between 20 and 22 hours/day.  But I also had Invisalign Teen, so she was able to gauge my compliance.  If the doctor tells someone 22 hours/day, then if they slip, they are likely to be within the time period.  If they tell them 20 hours, then they're likely to dip under that.  With Teen, it's obvious if you're dipping under, because the indicators don't go clear.  So there's no slippery slope.  On the other hand, I don't know if maybe some people have more stubborn teeth or more severe problems that require that extra two hours of wear.  I definitely didn't have time to brush and floss after 3 meals/day, so I started cutting out meals, but as long as your trays continue to fit as they should, and moving to the next tray isn't getting more painful, you are doing fine.  If you work on the time management, though, you will improve--just as SnowyT says.  :)
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I also started clenching once I started my Invisalign treatment.  I did not do it prior.  I did/do it so much that it pushes my back teeth into my jaws, and when I take the trays out, I have a posterior open bite.  This means I can't chew food with my molars.  And it's worsened my TMJ.  It's a big deal.  But I was kind of okay after my aligner series.  I think I only had 18 or so.  Now I've just been in retainers for over a year on top of that, so it's been worsening.  I am going in to hopefully be fitted for a Hawley retainer so I'll stop clenching, but if you can get out of the habit, that would definitely be to your advantage.  Maybe use chewies to put the trays in snugly, then try to only bite with those and not clench the rest of the time.  It's a terrible habit.  

I can say that for me, at least, the teeth come back out over the course of the day.  That was not the case in aligners because 20 minutes is not long enough--so chewing was really difficult throughout the entire treatment.
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Hi NadineIliana, weird to see other people from Australia on this site let alone people from the same dental clinic as you ha ha , i am also undergoing treatment from Dr Duncan and i completely agree with you , i didn't meet him until my 4th appointment which i was very annoyed about, i also chose him as he was an elite provider but now after only meeting him once after about 6 appoinments i began to realize that he is only an elite provider because the clinic sees so many patients , i now wish i had just chosen a ortho that does invisalign so they can focus more on the single patients and not get handed around to a whole bunch of different people. I have been in treatment for 6 months now and also have 17 attachments you will hardly notice them , i cant tell you about acceledent as i have not used it but hopefully it works out for you.
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